Viola Davis in Lorraine Schwartz

Emerald earrings are a popular choice for the Oscars. Angelina Jolie’s 2009 Oscar earrings are the most memorable example. The reason that the Lorraine Schwartz earrings that Viola Davis wore to the Oscars this year stood out was the incredible detail. While the color looked great on television, particularly with her emerald green Vera Wang dress, the detail of diamond pave filigree covering the gems made them even more interesting in photos. They are not just lovely gems in a classic mounting, they have the kind of intricate craftsmanship that makes them works of artistry as well. Viola also wore a lovely wide Lorraine Schwartz diamond cuff.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Anna Hu

A vision in sleek modern white, Gwyneth Paltrow paired her superhero cape with a cuff that puts Wonder Woman to shame. Inspired by the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, the cuff is set with  2,368 icy D VVS quality diamonds: 163 carats in total. The ring next to the cuff was almost as striking. In a night where many stars appeared to be wearing mom’s diamonds it was breathtakingly fresh.

Busy Philipps in Irene Neuwirth

Irene Neuwirth always rocks but the earrings that Busy Philipps wore last night are exceptional, even for her: shoulder-grazing boulder opal in vermillion and cerulean (they seem to demand more than blue-green, no?) Totally one of a kind. Organic in shape and undeniable in impact, they were the most-coveted jewel of the night.

Tina Fey in Bulgari

Although chandelier earrings were a popular look on this year’s red carpet, no one wore them better than Tina Fey. Her sapphire and emerald chandeliers by Bulgari were the perfect complement to her navy dress. The color was very flattering, matching the dress from afar, and showing bright highlights of contrasting emerald up close. Lovely.

For more beautiful red carpet gems, see my Oscar Jewelry board on Pinterest.

So which look was best? Julianne Moore’s emerald earrings were spectacular but a bit too reminiscent of Natalie Portman’s Tiffany earrings at last year’s Oscars. Kate Beckinsale’s mesh earrings are gorgeous but are Lorraine Schwartz from more than five years ago: Beyonce has worn this look many times.

Debra Messing and Julianna Margulies in new Lorraine Schwartz styles are strong contenders, with sophisticated color: both combining lavender and green. But as I watched Octavia Spencer give her acceptance speech, earrings and rings flashing, I couldn’t help admire how her jewelry complemented her and her dress without demanding all our attention. And realized how much I wanted those earrings! That makes this ensemble the best for me.  But here are the top-reviewed looks. What do you think?

Debra Messing in amethyst, emerald and blackened platinum earrings by Lorraine Schwartz

Julianna Margulies in carved jadeite earrings by Lorraine Schwartz

Julianne Moore in emerald tassel earrings by Fred Leighton

Kate Beckinsale in draped diamond mesh earrings by Lorraine Schwartz

Octavia Spencer in spectacularly oversized rainbow moonstone earrings and rings by Irene Neuwirth

Charlize Theron in diamond headband and brooch by Cartier

Heidi Klum in a turquoise and diamond necklace by Lorraine Schwartz

Frieda Pinto in a dramatic bib necklace by Chopard

Tilda Swinton in vintage bracelets by Fred Leighton

Carey Mulligan: Fred Leighton Earrings

The most dramatic jewelry look of the 2010 Oscars, these beautiful diamond chandelier earrings are bold in scale but delicately detailed. This look is a textbook example of how to accessorize a strapless black dress. Although chandeliers are more often worn with long locks, these earrings make Carey’s pixie haircut look sophisticated and red-carpet glamorous.

Amanda Seyfried: Lorraine Schwartz Bracelets
There are bracelets and then there are bracelets.  Amanda Seyfried’s chic stack of boldly patterned Lorraine Schwartz bracelets are lavish and funky at the same time.  Lavish because they are set with hundreds of carats of fancy colored diamonds in each of the three bracelets: any one of the three would have been red-carpet worthy. Funky because the colors of the diamonds are carmel brown, cream, and mint green, colors more more often seen in ice cream than in red carpet diamond jewelry. Let’s face it, her dress is a bit Disney princess (although better than the similar style worn by J-Lo) but those fabulous bracelets keep it young and hip.

Kate Winslet: Tiffany & Co Necklace
The only serious museum quality jewelry of the night, Kate Winslet’s $2.5 million fancy-yellow diamond necklace isn’t at all over the top, despite the price tag. The exquisite necklace, which was made just for the occasion, has an Art-Deco timelessness. The three sizable fancy-yellow diamonds are set in platinum paved with colorless diamonds. (Winslet accessorized with 10-carat fancy yellow earrings and a fancy yellow bracelet too.) This sounds like too much but the necklace does exactly what jewelry is supposed to do: accent the woman, not call attention to itself.  It is restrained, elegant and tasteful and the perfect complement to the gown, which would have been boring without it.

Miley Cyrus: Lorraine Schwartz Earrings
When you are wearing something that looks like you forgot to actually put your dress on over your skin-tone slip, you’d better accessorize with some really interesting jewelry to fend off the fashion police.  Miley Cyrus saves her red carpet look with fabulous earrings and cuff by Lorraine Schwartz.  Although the cuff with its interesting corset detailing is a witty comment on the style of her dress, the earrings are even better. Each ear has a lavish pansy with a ruby in the center, suspended from delicately adorned chain from a pave button.  Feminine and drop-dead gorgeous, they also made Miley look almost sophisticated, despite the Tammy Faye fake eyelashes.

Nicole Richie: Lorraine Schwartz Ring
Say what you wish about Nicole Richie’s striped dress, one look at her hand explains it.  Surely she fould that fabulous Lorraine Schwartz ring first and told her stylist to find something that would go with it?  More than 100 carats of fancy-colored diamonds in interesting shades of black, gray and brown: how cool is that?  Schwartz shows why she is the go-to jeweler for those who don’t want their mother’s diamonds.

The big winner at the Grammy Awards this year wasn’t Taylor Swift: it was the sleek new earring silhouette that the star wore on the red carpet: the drop.

Unlike chandeliers, which have a wedding cake of pivoting tiers, the drop has just one pendant dropping from the ear. The most popular shape for the drop is a pear shape, either right below the ear or suspended from a longer drop.

The Diamond Information Center is calling these “diamond pendant earrings.”It makes sense: they do resemble pendants. Smart designers are going to make these styles detachable so they can be work as pendants too. Sadly it’s much harder to go the other way: if I only had two of each of my pendants I’d be set for earrings for the next year!

This trend began at the Oscars last year. Angelina Jolie’s drop dead pear-shaped emerald drops by Lorraine Schwartz had 115 carats of emeralds.Julianne Moore followed suit with huge Bulgari pear-shaped emerald drops, featuring a 50+carat gem on each ear at the Golden Globes in January.Courtney Cox black sapphire and diamond drops were only slightly smaller.

But if this tasteful new earring was a big hit at the Grammy’s, with a grand tradition of tacky bling, it’s really official. The drop is the new chandelier.

• Michelle Obama glows at the administration’s first state dinner in dramatic Bochic amber, tourmaline and rose-cut diamond earrings and an arm-full of bangles.
• Jewelry justice: Circa buys Madoff bracelet for $50,000 to sell it to benefit a Madoff-cheated charity.
• Jewelry finally is recognized as couture, at least in Paris, where designs by Boucheron, Cartier, Chanel, Chaumet, Christian Dior, and Van Cleef & Arpels will be featured during Paris Haute Couture Week in January.
• Articles about composite ruby continue, following the report on ABC News. This Antoinette Matlins press release is one of the main sources for the reporters.
• Apparently some people find the Jared female-GPS-voice-wants-diamonds commercial just a tad sexist. (I was thinking it’s so 2007: aren’t GPS devices obsolete?) Also, does the guy in Kay’s new Love’s Embrace commercial remind you of a stalker? Or the Love’s Embrace necklace design suggest handcuffs?
• Shocking news about Amy Winehouse: her enagagement ring from her first (and now it seems soon to be second) husband is a demure Tiffany solitaire. (Imagine. Marrying Amy Winehouse. Twice.)
• Black Friday sticker shock? The Christian Science Monitor says the wise men would have to skip the gold at today’s prices.
• True, alternative jewelry materials may be in vogue but jewelry with reindeer dung covered in glitter is taking it a bit too far, don’t you think?

Rings by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for Asprey

Sinuous and stylish, snakes have always inspired jewelry designers. Gold snake bracelets and rings  at The Metropolitan Museum of Art that were the hot look in 300 BC would be just as fashionable today.

But 2010 may go down in jewelry history as the year of the snake thanks to the new “Protection” collection of snake jewelry designed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for Asprey. (Asprey says the designs were inspired by Angelina’s reflection on the snake as an “iconic guardian, a cultural symbol of family protection.”)  The new collection benefits a good cause too: the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

Jolie isn’t the only star wearing snakes on the red carpet lately. Shakira also donned snake earrings at the recent American Music Awards. Emily Blunt has been seen recently in a snake bracelet. Everywhere you look, gold and silver serpents spiral around wrists and fingers.

So with so many snake designs, how does the jewelry by the world’s hottest couple stack up? Judge for yourself by ranking the serpentine styles in our very own design Snakedown!

Shakira in snake-inspired diamond earrings

Zorab ruby and black diamond ring

Le Vian diamond and blue sapphire bracelet

Stephen Webster Queen Cobra ring in blackened sterling and sugilite

Erica Courtney platinum and diamond earrings

Lena Sklyut 18k gold and garnet ring

ZDNY fancy colored diamond ring

Sarah Jannerbo bracelet in 18k gold with rubies

Tracey Mayer Viper cuff in sterling silver

Bella's Engagement Ring designed by Shelli Ashton and Stephenie Meyer

Is there a celebrity left who doesn’t have a jewelry line? Announced this week:

• Infinite Jewelry, a small company in Utah, has an officially licensed Twilight jewelry collection designed with Stephanie Meyer, including Bella’s engagement ring, above.
• Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt design a fine jewelry collection for Asprey. They have a thing for snakes, apparently.
• Iman launches “Global Chic,” a costume jewelry line for HSN.
• Alicia Key’s new jewelry line creates beautiful ice crystals with words? (via Coutorture.)
• Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian launch a new jewelry collection in February with Virgin Saints & Angels.  (Does that qualify as celebrity jewelry?)
• Lindsey Lohan is apparently no Heidi Klum: she’s not launching a new jewelry line with Mouawad, Pascal says.

Other News in Jewelry:

• This just in: a research paper from Human Nature reported in Psychology Today finds that the amount spent on the engagement ring is correlated to income and the “quality” of the mate.
• Devon Fine Jewelry is leaving $25,000 in jewelry in bags around New Jersey. (It’s an anniversary celebration, not a beautification project.)  The giveaway is getting lots of press.
• A guy’s guide with ten rules for saving money on the engagement diamond.  (Pretty good advice from groom site The Plunge, thanks to Amy Curran, jewelry buyer extraordinaire.)
• The top mistake men make when buying an engagement ring? Band wedding band fit. (via Rose Diamond’s Blog) (Also qualifies as top wedding band mistake?)
• Dog eats engagement ring. After they recovered the ring, they showed the x-ray at the rehearsal dinner, made pup the “honorary ring bearer.”
• Jewelry set with human teeth? If that’s what the tooth fairy was up to, she can have her quarters back.

Christina Ricci doesn’t always get it right. But this week, she followed an appearance in dazzling diamond chandeliers from Bulgari with the week’s best jewelry.  The petite star wore an ice-blue form-fitting satin dress to the launch of the Prada book party. Instead of echoing the pale tone of the dress in her jewelry, she added a dramatic dimensional brooch set with gold gems and loops of diamonds against black. And then she added beautiful classic deep blue sapphire and diamond drop earrings.  The ensemble wouldn’t have been out of place on Mad Men but for the unconventional palette and scale of the brooch.  Classic jewels yes, but somehow modern too.

 

Christina Ricci in diamond chandelier earrings

Fashion keeps trying to drive a stake through the trend, but the dramatic tiered dangle earrings known as chandeliers return every night at sunset. Although officially replaced as the “it” accessory by the statement necklace, chandeliers are still a celebrity staple. That’s because stars dressing for the red carpet know these sexy earring styles flatter them most.

Although in the past, chandeliers were often worn with the hair down, the choice today is most often a loose updo. They are the perfect foil for a strapless dress and even work with styles with shine, sequins or beaded embroidery. 

The latest chandelier styles incorporate pear-shaped, often colorful, gemstones. But, as Christina Ricci proves above, diamonds are dazzling too.

Evan Rachel Wood in chandelier earrings

Emily Blunt in chandelier earrings

Emmy Rossum in a nature-inspired style

• The statement necklace is shaping up to be the look of the holiday season (via Stylecaster and Pennlive)
• Ready-to-wear designers Thakoon, Alice+Olivia, and Milly have announced new jewelry collections (via FabSugar). Obama favorite Thakoon is teaming up with Japanese jewelry giant Tasaki, so we might see some cool pearls on the first lady!
• Hot designer Solange Azagury-Partridge, featured in the new Sex & the City movie, also has a new short film starring Thandie Newton(and some jewels, of course). (via Elle News Blog). Check out the cool earrings, a great example of the faceted metal trend.
• How much jewelry is too much? Carrie Ann Inaba now knows. (via Firstwater News)
• Million-dollar diamond and platinum shoes by two American companies, Kwiat and Stuart Weitzman, are featured on a stamp. In Spain. ¿Qué?
• Joyería shines at the Latin Grammys (via JewelryInsider)

Engaging Stories

• Kelly Osborne’s second engagement ring from fiance Luke Worrall is a heart-shaped diamond (via Meotive). Multiple engagement rings? That’s a trend that brides, and their jewelers, would love!
• If real (and I have my doubts), Tara Reid’s huge pink engagement ring is also a trend that jewelers and brides could agree on. But E! Online thinks it’s tacky.
• All over America, couples are dashing for diamonds. Scavenger hunts for $12,000 rings by Sites Jewelers in Clarksville, TN, and Josephs Jewelers in Des Moines, IA.
• Proposal gone wrong: man drops one-carat engagement ring from hot air balloon. (There is a happy ending. She said yes and put a twistie-tie on her finger. They found the ring.)
• Battlestar Galactica inspired cylon rings.  What the frak! (via Technabob)

Baroque pearl necklace by Katy Briscoe with carved sapphires and diamonds

The Spectrum Award competition featured a lot of great designs this year.  The winning designs are breathtaking, to be sure. But every year I see a lot of wonderful designs that didn’t win.  This year, among all the great colorful gemstone designs there were a lot of spectacular pearl pieces. Baroque shapes, amazing rare colors, and spectacularly large pearls were featured in very creative ways. These styles really demonstrate the amazing variety of pearls available today.

Carved bone, 18k rose gold, and South Sea pearl pin by Katey Brunini

Octopus necklace with fancy color diamonds and South Sea pearls by Victor Velyan

Gems accent pearls in pendants by Angela Conty, left, and Llyn L. Strelau

Flower brooch with keshi pearls, peridot, sapphires, and diamonds by Rex McClure

Dragonfly brooch with freshwater, oyster, and abalone pearls by Jennifer Rabe Morin

Colorful pearls in earrings by Graham Edney, left, and Samuel Getz

Freshwater pearl, 18k gold and bakelite cuff by Susan Sadler

Cameron Diaz in gold

Statement necklaces are (finally!) starting to show up on the red carpet. Cameron Diaz wore a lovely multistrand gold necklace to the premiere of The Box. The yellow gold is the perfect foil to her structured navy dress. You can get the look with the Marco Bicego Cairo necklace, which has slightly thinner strands. It’s a classic that you can wear forever. (And, having tried it on, I can report that it’s very supple: feels great on your neck!)  And isn’t this a nicer way to join the gold rush than having a gold bar in your safe?  You can always cash out.  Just not with these people, please.

Marco Bicego Cairo Necklace

• Gotcha segment on glass-filled rubies on Good Morning America with jewelry sales clerks who didn’t disclose.
• World Series players put some faith in titanium necklaces (don’t call them chokers!) Major League Baseball approves. (via Philly.com)
• Trick or treater in Ohio gets the treat of a lifetime. (via ABC15)
• Once in a lifetime glimpse at a 2.52 carat green diamond at Sotheby’s this November 17 (via Color-n-Ice )
• Michele Obama gets Glamour-ous in a statement necklace by Fenton by Dana Lorenz (via Jewelry Insider)
• Ashley Olsen always has time for jewelry (via Gem Gossip)
• Honora partners with Bare Escentuals to match pearls for your skin (via The Honora Blog)
• Interview with NYC jewelry designer Shawn Warren (via iDazzle)
• November’s birthstone: drop earrings in Citrine (via The Jewelry Blog)
• Interview with HBO’s True Blood jewelry designer Udi Behr (via Luxist)
• Signs of life for shopping? October was the best month for retail since this whole mess started. Jewelry sales were up 7.2% (via New York Times)

Get started on your holiday shopping: 

• Wendy Brandes Jewelry pop-up shop November 20 – 21 (via Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog)
• New Alicia Keys jewelry collection preview at Collette Blanchard Gallery in New York November 23-24 (via Coco Perez)
• This week’s designer jewelry sample sales (via Jewelry Whore)

Jennifer Lopez at the This Is It premiere in Los Angeles

How hot is blackened metal? Just take a look at the diamond hoops Jennifer Lopez wore to the Los Angeles premiere of This Is It. You can’t miss them: they are bangle-size. And the huge hoops are even more dramatic thanks to the blackened gold of the setting.

Cuff worn by Jennifer Lopez

JLo also wore an armful of bracelets on both wrists. On her right, a stack of dragon link bracelets.  On her left, an unusual corset style cuff, laced with silver chain with a black bar underneath the arm layered with yet another link bracelet.  The corset cuff also had a dangling black piece on a chain. I’ve never seen anything exactly like it so I’m afraid I can’t give you the designer. Lopez often wears Lorraine Schwartz who may have made the earrings and link bracelets but probably not the corset cuff.

The hoops were stunning and her makeup perfection. And she seemed to effortlessly walk the line between funeral and premiere that this event required. (Almost everyone wore black but some looked a bit too goth.) But the bracelets with the sequined dress might have been too much. What do you think? Too many bracelets? Too many metal colors? Hoops too big to be comfortable (one twisted around in the wind on the red carpet.)  Or just right?

Jennifer Lopez adjusts her earring, showing off that corset cuff

Not so long ago, a wedding ring was a simply a “band of gold.” When platinum came on the scene in the 1980s, some high-end bands began to be made of that precious metal too.  But this last decade has seen a huge surge in what the jewelry industry calls “contemporary metals,” like titanium, steel, and tungsten carbide, which isn’t really a metal at all (more on that later.)  Recently, a relative of platinum, palladium, has also been added to the mix.

Why have hundreds of thousands of men chosen a band made out of one of these non-traditional metals? They are much more affordable, especially with the gold price now above $1,000 per ounce.

A ring made out of a high-tech material seems modern and in sync with a contemporary lifestyle.  Titanium, because of its light weight, feels more comfortable to some men. Steel has a classic industrial appeal, especially when combined with diamonds or gold. And tungsten carbide is marketed as being more durable than precious metals, with a superior hardness that resists scratching. Sales of tungsten carbide have surged in the past two years and are now estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 wedding bands a year.

But one of the country’s leading bridal jewelry designers wants men to think twice before choosing a tungsten carbide wedding band.

Scott Kay held a press conference today in New York to demonstrate that tungsten carbide is not as indestructible as a YouTube video might lead you to believe.  How did he do that?  He destroyed a lot of tungsten carbide rings. He tossed them against a marble tile and they shattered. He hit them with a hammer and they cracked. He put them in a vise and they broke in two.

Tungsten carbide, a metallurgist at the press conference explained, is not a metal but a metal matrix composite, a ceramic like material sintered from a powder of tungsten and carbon sintered with cobalt or nickel into an aggregate, which still contains tiny voids. Because it isn’t a metal, it can’t bend so a sharp shock can break it.

These tungsten carbide rings were thrown on the floor, shattering them

“When I go on the internet and read that tungsten rings are indestructible, unbreakable, durable, and strong, I have a real problem with that,” Kay says. “I have a problem with tungsten carbide for a wedding ring without 100% disclosure that it breaks when it falls on the floor.”

This jewelry mayhem had another point: Scott Kay announced a partnership with manufacturer Spectore Corporation metal alloy supplier Carpenter Technologies to launch the SK Cobalt collection of bands in a patented white metal alloy of cobalt, chromium, and molybdenum called BioBlu 27. The collection will be designed by Scott Kay and manufactured by Spectore from the high-tech alloy created by Carpenter.

The SK Cobalt Collection will retail from $125 up, with most bands in the $300 range.  They will directly compete with those not-so-indestructible tungsten carbide wedding bands.

Kay promises that the new bands will not shatter when hit by a hammer (and he of course demonstrated by doing just that.)

The bands in the new SK Cobalt Collection will also have a wider selection of styling than most bands in other contemporary metals because the BioBlu 27 alloy can be cast as well as machined, allowing more sculptural and organic designs and textures. Although stones can not yet be set in the new alloy, BioBlu 27 can be combined with precious metals, with or without gems.

SK Cobalt rings will be available in stores in the next two weeks. Helzberg Diamonds will carry an exclusive collection in the new alloy called “Brute Cobalt.”

“There is a need for a $300 wedding ring,” Kay says. “If gold was $100 an ounce, everyone would have a gold ring. BioBlu is dense, it’s solid metal matrix, it’s strong and it’s not brittle. I am excited about BioBlu 27. I want other manufacturers to use it also.”

SK Cobalt wedding rings in the BioBlu 27 alloy

Trends in this year’s Spectrum competition include flower rings, more use of classic gems, in particular emerald, cabochon cuts, green gems, and blackened metals.

2010 Spectrum Awards Winners List

Best of Show (tie) and 1st place Evening Wear: James Currens, J.W. Currens, New York for the “Empress” ring featuring a 15.58 carat pear-shaped moonstone accented with color-change garnets, moonstones, and diamonds in platinum and silver.

Best of Show (tie) and 3rd place Evening Wear: James Currens, J.W. Currens, New York for “The Quiet Moment” brooch featuring 66.15 carats of emeralds accented with rose-cut and fancy-color diamonds in 18k gold, platinum and silver.

Best Use of Color and 1st place Classical: Lilly Fitzgerald, Lilly Fitzgerald/Goldsmith, Spencer, MA, for a multi-color sapphire necklace set in 22k gold.

Best Use of Platinum and Color: Tracy Janule, Custom Jewelry and Wax Creations, Gilbert, Arizona, for aquamarine and peridot ring in platinum.

Best Use of Pearls: Graham Edney, Graham Edney, Santa Barbara, CA, for freshwater pearl and fancy-color diamond earrings in platinum.

Fashion Forward: Victor Velyan, Victor Velyan, Los Angeles, CA, for a star ruby and fancy-color diamond cuff bracelet in 24k gold and silver with a brown patina.

Bridal Wear

Bridal Wear, 1st place: Maria Canale, Suna Brothers, New York, for pink topaz and diamond earrings in 18k gold.

Bridal Wear, 2nd place: Samuel Getz, Samuel Getz Designs, Miami, for mint-green grossular garnet and diamond ring in 18k gold.

Bridal Wear, 3rd place: Evelyn Clothier, Evelyn Clothier Jewelry, New York, for white agate and pink diamond earrings in 18k rose gold.

Bridal Wear, Honorable Mention: Richard Krementz Gemstones, Springfield, NJ, for peridot and diamond pendant in platinum and 18k gold.

Bridal Wear, Manufacturing Honors: Ryan Roberts, Ryan Roberts Ltd, Chimayo, NM,  for violet spinel and diamond ring in platinum.

Bridal Wear, Platinum Honors: Evelyn Clothier, New York, for moonstone and diamond earrings in platinum.

Business/Day Wear

Business/Day Wear, 1st place: Ariane Zurcher, Ariane Zurcher Designs, Long Island City, NY for a 18k gold bracelet set with cabochon pink topaz, mandarin garnet,  paraiba tourmaline, tourmaline, aquamarine, and pink sapphire.

Business/Day Wear, 2nd place: Ashleigh Branstetter, Ashleigh Branstetter, New Orleans, chalcedony and diamond slice earrings in 18k gold.

Business/Day Wear, 3rd place: Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry, Oakland, CA, green tourmaline and diamond ring in 22k gold.

Business/Day Wear, Honorable mention: Susan Sadler, Susan Sadlet Fine Jewelry, Tulsa, OK, Sonnoran Sunrise and vintage bakelite bracelet with 18k gold and diamonds.

Business/Day Wear, Manufacturing Honors: Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry, Oakland, CA, rainbow moonstone ring in 18k rose gold.

Business/Day Wear, Platinum Honors: James Currens, J.W. Currens, New York for “Orbit” pink spinel and orange spessartite garnet ring in platinum.

Classical

Classical, Best Use of Color and 1st place: Lilly Fitzgerald, Lilly Fitzgerald/Goldsmith, Spencer, MA, for a multi-color sapphire necklace set in 22k gold.

Classical, 2nd place: Leon Mege, Leon Mege, New York for Paraiba tourmaline ring in platinum and blackened silver.

Classical, 3rd place: James Currens, J.W. Currens, New York for a Platinum bracelet featuring natural Rubies (19.88 ctw.) and Diamonds (12.78 ctw.).

Classical, Honorable Mention: Lilly Fitzgerald, Lilly Fitzgerald 1 Goldsmith, Spencer, MA, 22K yellow gold hand-carved necklace featuring a Tanzanite cabochon.

Classical, Honorable Mention: Lilly Fitzgerald, Lilly Fitzgerald 1 Goldsmith, Spencer, MA, 22K yellow gold hand-carved necklace featuring a Tanzanite cabochon.

Classical, Manufacturing Honors: Ashok Sancheti, Designs by Ashok Sancheti dba Pioneer Gems, New York, NY, Natural blue Agate bangle featuring platinum and white Diamonds (1 8.73 ctw.).

Classical, Platinum Honors: Jeffrey Bilgore, Jeffrey Bilgore LLC, New York, NY, Platinum ring featuring a 10.78 ct. cornflower blue cushion-cut natural Sapphire accented with Diamonds (1.29 ctw.).

Evening Wear

Evening Wear, Best of Show and 1st Place: James Currens, J.W. Currens, Inc., New York, NY, Platinum and silver “Empress” ring featuring a 15.58 pear-shaped Moonstone accented with color-change Garnets (19.36 ctw.), oval Moonstones (6.40 ctw.) and Diamonds (2.46 ctw.).

Evening Wear, 2nd Place: Evelyn Clothier, Evelyn Clothier Jewelry, New York, NY, Platinum and 18K yellow gold butterfly brooch featuring sliced Diamonds (20.17 ctw.) and pink, yellow and white Diamonds (15.93 ctw.).

Evening Wear, Best of Show and 3rd Place: James Currens, J.W. Currens, Inc., New York, NY, “The Quiet Moment1′ brooch featuring oval Emeralds (66.1 5 ctw.) set in 18K white gold, silver and platinum accented with white and multi-colored Diamonds (17.05 ctw.).

Evening Wear, Honorable Mention and Best Use of Pearls: Graham Edney, Graham Edney, Santa Barbara, CA, Platinum earrings featuring freshwater Pearls and white, pink and yellow Diamonds (1.50 ctw.).

Evening Wear, Manufacturing Honors: Yael Designs, San Francisco, CA, 18K white gold “Lava” earrings featuring black Diamonds (1.43 ctw.) and white Diamonds (2.77 ctw.).

Evening Wear, Platinum Honors: Ashok Sancheti, Designs by AshokSancheti dba Pioneer Gems, New York, NY, Platinum earrings featuring Morganite dbps (81.15 ctw.) accented with Zircons (6.66 ctw.), Spinels (1.50 ctw.) and Diamonds (1.65 ctw.).

Men’s Wear

Men’s Wear, 1st Place: Jack Bigio, Basser & Bigio, LLC, New York, NY, Platinum cufflinks featuring Sapphire slices and Diamonds (1.0 ctw.) attached to a platinum mechanism.

Men’s Wear, Platinum Honors: Mark Schneider, Mark Schneider Design, Long Beach, CA, Platinum ring featuring a 13.81 ct. spessartite Garnet, yellow Diamonds (1.58 ctw.) and Diamonds (0.62 ctw.).

Men’s Wear, 2nd Place: lvan Sagel, lvan Sagel, Chicago, IL, 18K white and yellow gold ring featuring a 4.07 ct. millenium-cut blue Tourmaline.

Men’s Wear, 3rd Place: Link Wachler, Link Wachler Designs, Troy, MI, 18K yellow gold ring featuring a Baroque Pearl, a mother of Pearl “eye patch,” a 3mm cultured Pearl and a .02 ct. Ruby.

Men’s Wear, Manufacturing Honors: Ashleigh Branstetter, Ashleigh Branstetter, LLC, New Orleans, LA, Platinum cufflinks featuring London blue Topaz cabochons (39.89 ctw.) and pave Diamonds (1.57 ctw.).

Cutting Edge Awards

Classic Gemstones
A1 – Open Category Classic Gemstone, 1st Place: Robert Kane, Fine Gems International, Helena, MT, 4.53 ct. cushion-cut natural pink Sapphire.

A1 – Open Category Classic Gemstone, 2nd Place: Ruben Bindra, B & B Fine Gems, Los Angeles, CA, 33..16c t. emerald-cut blue Sapphire.

A1 – Open Category Classic Gemstone, 3rd Place: Ruben Bindra, B & B Fine Gems, Los Angeles, CA, 13.1 1 ct. cushion-cut orange Sapphire.

A1 – Open Category Classic Gemstone, Honorable Mention: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co., San Francisco, CA, 30.07 ct. natural cushion-cut yellow Sapphire.

Other Gemstones
A2 – Open Category All Other Faceted, 1st Place: Allen Kleiman, A. Kleiman & Co., San Francisco, CA, 10.78 ct. natural heart-shaped red Spinel.

A2 – Open Category All Other Faceted, 2nd Place: Ben Kho, Kho International, Ltd., Decatur, GA, 19. I 1 ct. trilliant-cut Sphalerite.

A2 – Open Category All Other Faceted, 3rd Place: Clay Zava, Zava Mastercuts, Carrboro, NC, 31.94 ct. “tricheck”-cut Tanzanite.

A2 – Open Category All Other Faceted, Honorable Mention: Ben Kho, Kho International, Ltd., Decatur, GA, 11.48 ct. antique cushion-cut Rhodochrosite.

A2 – Open Category All Other Faceted, Honorable Mention: Joseph Ambalu, Amba Gem Corp, New York, NY, 16.88 ct. cushion-cut Paraiba Tourmaline.

Phenomenal Gemstones
A3 – Open Category Phenomenal, 1st Place: Larry Woods, Jewels From the Woods, Blanco, TX, “Celestial Compass” 5.13 ct. color-change Garnet.

Objects of Art
F – Objects of Art, 1st Place: Tigran Lementsyan, Andrew Sarosi, Los Angeles, CA, 18K yellow ‘Wheat Shaft” accented with seed Pearls and round white Diamonds (.66 ctw.).

F – Objects of Art, 2nd Place: Gregore Morin, Gregore Joailliers, Santa Barbara, CA, “Swiss Connection” brooch featuring white Opals (84 ctw.), brown Opals (12.72 ctw.) and Diamonds (.48 ctw.).

Spectrum Best of Show: Emerald and diamond brooch by James Currens

I just returned from the editor’s preview of the 2010 AGTA Spectrum Awards, the annual design competition honoring the best in colored gemstone and pearl designs. Spectrum is organized by the American Gem Trade Association, the not-for-profit trade association for the gemstone industry.

I love the Spectrum competition because AGTA invited the media to see all the pieces that are in competition, not just the winners.  Every year I discover a few not-to-be-missed styles that didn’t win.

This year’s collection was particularly dazzling due to the quality of the gems in the pieces. It was also notable for the amazing display of work by one single designer, James Currens, who had two pieces that tied for Best of Show: a platinum and silver ring featuring a 15.58 pear-shaped moonstone, one of the best moonstones I have ever seen, surrounded by pave color-change garnets, and an leaf brooch set with 66 carats of emeralds and 17 carats of rose cut and fancy diamonds in a butterfly poised over the emerald leaf.  Quite different designs but both executed in top-quality gems and exquisite workmanship.

Currens also had a stunning 17-carat emerald ring, a sugarloaf cabochon emerald ring, and a sugarloaf cabochon ruby and pave yellow-diamond ring, South Sea pearl earrings with en tremblant bees, and a pink spinel and orange spessartite garnet ring, all breathtaking.  Several rings had detailing and rosettes of gemstones set underneath the stone.  I would happily take any of them home but the ruby ring was the hardest to take off.

There were several noticeable trends among the Spectrum entries this year.  A bountiful crop of flower rings bloomed in every color.  Many styles featured cabochon and carved gemstones: some even channeling the lavish scale and styling of the jewels of the Mogul period.

If I had to pick only one color of the year it would be green. More styles than in the past featured emeralds. Many designs also featured blackened metal to accentuate vividly colored  gems.  A ring by Leon Mege set off the electric blue of Paraiba tourmalines with a setting of platinum and blackened silver.

Echoing the trend in the market, there were more bracelets than in past competitions too.

I’ll post the professional photos when they are available but for you gem junkies out here, I took some images of a few of my favorite designs at the preview.

Best of Show (tie): Moonstone and color-change garnet ring by James Currens

Fire opal and amethyst brooch by Paula Crevoshay

Mogul-worthy: emerald and ruby rings by James Currens

Details on the back of a ruby ring by James Currens

Ruby and diamond ring by Leon Mege

Classic rock: emerald and diamond ring by James Currens

Subtle shades: Cortez pearl and fancy sapphire earrings by Alejandra Solomone

Tusk-shaped bracelets and rings at Balenciaga

Tooth and claw, man’s first adornments, are also the last word in fashion. The coolest jewels from the Spring 2010 runways are the fierce tusk bracelets and rings at Balenciaga.  Tusk link bracelets in banded and spotted agates, chalcedony, and quartz as well as black onyx and white agate echo the patterns, color-blocking, and textures of the fabrics used in the collection.  Rings set with one vertical horn shape are particularly striking.

Tory Burch also showed tusk shaped jewelry with her Spring 2010 collection, layering large tusk pendants and long station necklaces in gold and silver.  The curved horn is clearly a jewelry silhouette to watch.

Tusk necklaces at Tory Burch

Multiple strands of pearls with pendant on the runway at Dries van Noten

The statement necklace is the star of the runways this season, with Tom Binns-like tangled assemblages of chains and pendants.  While many variations feature chain links, the newest styles pile on the pearls. Mixes of different pearl sizes add textural interest. Some styles also have a ribbon tie in the back for more texture.

Reem Acra showed bib necklaces draped with swags of pearls. Badgley Mischka showed necklaces with multiple strands secured in front with brooch-like stations.  Dries Van Noten showed twisted pearl collars with large rectangular pendants.

One of the newest ways to wear a strand of pearls, seen on the runway at John Galliano, is wrapped around the wrist.

Pearls at Badgley Mischka, left, and Reem Acra, center and right

Pearls in different sizes at John Galliano

Style armor: Lanvin necklace from the Spring 2010 collection

The statement necklace is a key accessory this season, as fashion’s focus shifts from the ear and the wrist to the neck. On the Spring 2010 runways, the most important necklace silhouette is the bib. Wide waterfall styles were shown with strapless styles, one shoulder silhouettes, inside necklines and collars, over boat necks, and even under some of the sheer styles that were all over runways this season.

Chanel showed delicate branched bib necklaces inside the neckline of jackets. Badgley Mischka and Diane von Furstenberg showed beaded fringe bibs. Vera Wang’s beaded web bib is large in scale but surprisingly wearable.  Reem Acra’s bib necklaces have draped swags of pearls and dramatic Mogul style gems.

Bottega Veneta and Lanvin showed heavier more ethnic silver styles set with gems. Bottega Veneta showed overlapping silver leaves and blossoms set with circles of bone.  Lanvin showed layered heavy oxidized silver chain with bold plaques in silver and gold set with cabochon turquoise, amethyst, and other bold gems. Each style was different but all were tough yet glamorous. These chic pieces of style armor are surely a sign of many more necklaces to come.

Necklace from Bottega Veneta's Spring 2010 runway show

From left, two bib necklaces from Badgley Mischka (two), Diane von Furstenberg, and Reem Acra